A request for a new master-planned development in Wesley Chapel has prompted questions about drainage issues in the general area.
Applicant Sandhill Flats LLC is seeking approval for Remington, a master-planned unit development on the south side of Tyndall Road, about 3,950 feet west of Curley Road. The request is seeking a maximum of 127 single-family detached units on approximately 44.2 acres.
County planners recommended approval of the request, which also received a recommendation of approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission.
The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission for a final decision.
Only one person spoke during the public comment portion of the public hearing on Sept. 22.
Michael Pultorak, who lives on Kenton Road, said he doesn’t oppose growth, in general.
“I don’t have an issue with houses; I don’t have issue with development; putting houses on lakes is a little bit of an issue, but I’m not going to go there,” Pultorak said.
The request is in the area of King Lake.
“It’s a beautiful lake. Pasco has two King Lakes. This is the one in Wesley Chapel, out toward Dade City,” Pultorak said.
He raised issues about potential flooding in the area, which he said could be triggered by new development, unless steps are taken to address drainage issues.
He raised the same issue during a previous appearance at a planning board meeting, involving another rezoning request in the general area.
Regarding that project, Pultorak said, “I tried to shed light that 106,000 square feet of commercial and 527 homes was going to shed about 1.7 million square feet of water during the storm season.
“We got with SWFMD (the Southwest Florida Water Management District). The north outflow and the south outflow apparently is just fine. They have no issues with it.
“That leaves us one outflow for the entire lake.
He showed the planning board photographs of flooded roads and flooded fields to illustrate his concerns.
“This is right on Kenton Road. This is one of four places where we had water over the roads and washing out the road from this single lake because the stormwater issue hasn’t been resolved,” he said, referring to a photo.
“There’s no place for the water to go.
“This was a river. It took four-wheel drive vehicles to get through here. Every place I’m showing you brought in truckloads of limestone because the water has to go somewhere.
“This is Kenton Road, right in front of the prior project we spoke about.
“This was a river for about 10 days straight.
“This water could be redirected and reused. It could be sent right back. We could use it for irrigation. The problem is, right now there is no stormwater management plan and that water is not being diverted anywhere.
“I have 8 acres behind my home and the actual Kenton Road, proper. Two-thirds of that has been holding water underwater for the past three weeks.
“That’s not fair. I have cows out there. I have a herd of black Angus out there. The water level is 6 ½ feet too high.
“It sounds like in most of the county the development is causing stormwater issues. Let’s not become like South Tampa here.”
Planning board member Jon Moody asked Pultorak if he objected to the Remington rezoning.
Pultorak responded: “I object to this project only because it’s going to add to the stormwater issue. If we could create a solution for the stormwater, put houses all of the way around it. I’m not opposed to the houses, but you can’t flood out the existing residents because we’re going to continue all the way around this lake.”
Attorney Clarke Hobby told the planning board “the subject site that we have is on the north side of King Lake. He’s talking about the west side of King Lake and he’s probably focusing on an area that’s between .75 and a mile and a half away from our site.
“We actually discharge to the west.
“This is 120 units on 40 acres. We do not even abut the lake,” Hobby said.
Ultimately, the planning board recommended approval of the request, but also called for there to be communication between the applicant and Pultorak during the stage when drainage plans are drawn up at the development stage.
Published September 28, 2022
